Woman Allegedly Hammers Son-In-Law To Death, Says He 'Ruined Daughter's Life'

A 72-year-old woman in India has been arrested for allegedly killing her son-in-law, who was also her lover, with a hammer at his home in Mumbai.

According to the police, the victim, Vimal Khanna, 56, had promised to marry the suspect, Shanti Suresh Pal, 35 years ago. However, Khanna later married Pal's daughter instead. Pal said Khanna had "ruined her daughter’s life." Due to marital problems, Pal's daughter left Khanna to live with her.

A few days before the incident, Pal and her daughter moved back in with Khanna due to his deteriorating health caused by a cerebral stroke. Khanna, who had been out of work for the past several months, was home Tuesday afternoon while his wife went out. The accused allegedly got into an argument with Khanna during this time.

"In a fit of rage, she hit him with a hammer," senior inspector of Wadala TT police station, Shailash Pasalwar said to Times of India.

Pal reportedly hit Khanna on his head with the hammer multiple times. Khanna, who was under medication, fell unconscious after the assault. When Pal’s daughter returned home, the accused acted as if someone else carried out the attack. They then rushed Khanna to the hospital.

"On Tuesday, Khanna’s wife called us and said that her husband was found lying in a critical condition and had to be taken to Sion hospital. Investigation revealed that Khanna had been killed with a hammer," Pasalwar said to Mid-Day.

The autopsy report revealed the cause of death as "physical trauma to the body by way of fall, impact or attack."

Pal is currently in police custody and has confessed to the crime, said police. The accused claims she killed Khanna for harassing her daughter, but police believe that Pal and Khanna's affair 35 years ago might be the real motive behind the crime.

"Pal was angry with Khanna. She has been living at his house for the past four days and killed him during that time. We have recovered the hammer. The court has given us four days custody of Pal," Pasalwar revealed.

In a similar incident, a Karnataka woman allegedly bludgeoned her husband to death after arguments about her affair with a man she met on TikTok. Police arrested the woman's lover and nephew, who kept a lookout outside the house while the woman carried out the attack.